ABSTRACT Objective: Hemangioblastoma is a rare vascular sporadically occurring CNS tumor that can be associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. Hemangioblastomas account for 2-6% of all spinal cord neoplasms and rank third among intramedullary space-occupying lesions. Methods: This was the first time in our practice that we had dealt with paravertebral hemangioblastoma with the sandglass growth pattern. The world literature describes only 3 case of a tumor with this growth pattern. Surgical and diagnostic aspects of patient treatment are considered. Results: During the operation, we adhered to the following stages: localization of the feeding vessel and of the poles of the tumor, surface dissection of the tumor, en bloc resection of the tumor, and hemostasis of the tumor cavity. Conclusions: Hemangioblastoma of extradural localization is a very rare pathology. However, when MRI signs characteristic of a vascular lesion are identified, it is necessary to carry out additional examinations, which may include CT perfusion study and, if required, selective angiography. Level of Evidence 5; Case report.

ABSTRACT Objective In 2012, a new Brazilian regulation prohibited the use of flavor additives in tobacco products. To better understand the potential impact of this regulation, this study examines how flavor descriptors on cigarette packaging influence brand perceptions among young Brazilian women. Methods An online cross-sectional experiment was conducted with Brazilian women aged 16–26 (N = 640: 182 smokers and 458 nonsmokers) who rated 10 cigarette packages from one of three conditions: 1) branded packs; 2) packs with the same size, shape, and verbal descriptions as in condition 1, but without brand imagery (i.e., “plain pack”); and 3) packs from condition 2 but without brand descriptors (i.e., “plain pack, no descriptors”). Mixed-effects linear regression models were utilized to determine what associations that pack features (i.e., experimental condition; flavor descriptor vs. not; slim pack vs. not) had with participant ratings of nine characteristics, including appeal, taste, smoothness, and attributes of people who smoke the brand. Results Flavored branded packs were rated as more appealing, better tasting, and smoother than flavored plain packs with descriptors. Compared to flavored plain packs with descriptors, the same packs without descriptors were rated less positively on eight of the nine characteristics. Compared to nonsusceptible nonsmokers, susceptible nonsmokers rated flavored packs more positively on eight of the nine characteristics. Slim packs were rated more positively than regular packs on eight of the nine characteristics. Conclusions Slim packs and brands highlighting tobacco flavors appear to increase positive perceptions of tobacco products. Banning tobacco flavorings and slim packs may reduce the appeal of smoking for young Brazilian women, as well as for other vulnerable populations.

Abstract An incubation study was conducted to investigate the effects of adding cow manure (CM), poultry manure (PM), city waste (CW) and triple super phosphate (TSP) on extractable P in a sandy loam acidic soil (Aquepts) and a silt loam alkaline soil (Fluvents). Phosphorus was added at a rate of 200 mg P kg−1 to the soil in the forms of CM, PM, CW and TSP. The soil was incubated at field capacity for 15, 30 and 60 days after which the P sources were extracted with Olsen, Kelowna, Mehlich-3, and Bray and Kurtz-II extractants. Regardless of the extractants and soils, after 15 days of incubation, the highest extractable P source was the TSP (88-97 mg kg-1 as Olsen P), and the lowest was the CW (11-15 mg kg-1 as Olsen P). The extractable P levels with the CM (41-48 mg kg-1 as Olsen P) and PM (71-73 mg kg-1 as Olsen P) were between the extractable P levels with the TSP and CW. Extractable P in the soils with the organic amendments increased slightly with increasing incubation time from 15 to 60 days. With the TSP, extractable P decreased sharply in the acidic soil, while it decreased gradually in the alkaline soil. In both soils, extraction efficiency was in the order of Bray and Kurtz-II> Mehlich-3> Kelowna>Olsen. The efficiency of the added P as measured by NaHCO3 increased with the organic amendments, while the efficiency decreased with the TSP with days of incubation. This study indicates that soil samples taken 30 days after the addition of CM and PM in the soil might reflect the most plant-available P.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the 4th commonest cancer in the world. Studies had shown different tumor behavior depending on the site, pathology and stage. However the characters of Egyptian colon cancer patients are not well addressed. Method: Computerized registry of a tertiary cancer hospital in Egypt was searched for colon cancer cases. Demographic, pathologic and treatment data were collected and analyzed using SPSS program. Results: About 360 colon cancer patients attended our center in the last 12 years. Tumor characters showed great diverse from that of developed countries, with especially different prognosis and survival. Conclusion: Egyptians have unique tumor characters and behavior, and different compliance with treatment regimens. Multicenter prospective studies, as well as evolving Egyptian treatment guidelines are needed to address this.

ABSTRACT A simple and isocratic HPLC method with stability indicating nature was developed and then subsequently validated for simultaneous determination of ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone in pharmaceutical formulations, human serum and urine. Best chromatographic separations were attained within run time of 10 minutes using C8 as stationary phase and mixture of phosphate buffer and methanol (41:59 v/v) as mobile phase. The mobile phase was flowed at 1.5 mL min−1 with detection of both the analytes at 270 nm using photodiode array detector. Validation of the method was accomplished using specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, LOD and LOQ. The method was found linear from 3-21 mg mL−1 for ciprofloxacin (r2 ≥ 0.999) and 1-7 mg mL−1 for dexamethasone (r2 ≥ 0.999). The %age recoveries of ciprofloxacin in spiked human urine and serum were ≥99% and ≥85% respectively, while for dexamethasone they were ≥97% in both matrices. The method proficiently separated the peaks of ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone from all types of interfering substances including degradation products/impurities with purity index ≥ 0.9998. The method thus was stability-indicating and can be employed for simultaneous analysis of ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone in complex matrices involving multiple components in the mixture.

Abstract In this study, conditions were optimized for development of a simple RP-HPLC method for simultaneous analysis of gatifloxacin and dexamethasone in different matrices like pharmaceuticals, human serum and urine. Good separation of gatifloxacin and dexamethasone from the induced degradation products was accomplished using C8 as stationary phase; 0.02 M phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) and methanol (42:58 v/v) as mobile phase. The concentration was measured with DAD at 270 nm. Linearity was observed in the range of 0.000040-0.000280 mol/L for gatifloxacin (r2≥0.999) and 0.000013-0.000091 mol/L for dexamethasone (r2≥0.999). Both the analyte peaks were completely separated from the peaks of induced degradation products as indicated by the peak purity index (≥0.9999 for both analytes). The optimized method is recommended to be used for concurrent analysis of gatifloxacin and dexamethasone in different matrices.

ABSTRACT Environmental quality is a major factor in global health that mainly affects the poorest populations. Vector- borne diseases, climate change, pollution and unintentional poisonings are recognized as the primary causes of environmental diseases burden in developing countries. The development and implementation of new technologies to reduce the impact of these risk factors on health in developing countries is a priority in the current research. In this regard, synthetic biology, a nearly new research area, has initiated a big revolution through the de novo design or rewiring of biological components, organisms, and functions with the aim to reduce the adverse effects of environmental risk factors on human health. Despite synthetic biology is well recognized for being a multidisciplinary area where biotechnologist, biologist, physicists, mathematicians and engineers play together, its integration with public health and other social sciences seems to be of relevance to apply these technologies into a practical context. In this review, we discuss the major advances in synthetic biology with potential to improve environmental quality and human health in developing countries.

Bangladesh shares a common border with India in the west, north and east and with Myanmar in the southeast. These borders cut across 57 rivers that discharge through Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal in the south. The upstream courses of these rivers traverse India, China, Nepal and Bhutan. Transboundary flows are the important sources of water resources in Bangladesh. Among the 57 transboundary rivers, the Teesta is the fourth major river in Bangladesh after the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna and Bangladesh occupies about 2071 km². The Teesta River floodplain in Bangladesh accounts for 14% of the total cropped area and 9.15 million people of the country. The objective of this study was to investigate trends in both maximum and minimum water flow at Kaunia and Dalia stations for the Teesta River and the coping strategies developed by the communities to adjust with uncertain flood situations. The flow characteristics of the Teesta were analysed by calculating monthly maximum and minimum water levels and discharges from 1985 to 2006. Discharge of the Teesta over the last 22 years has been decreasing. Extreme low-flow conditions were likely to occur more frequently after the implementation of the Gozoldoba Barrage by India. However, a very sharp decrease in peak flows was also observed albeit unexpected high discharge in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999 and 2004 with some in between April and October. Onrush of water causes frequent flash floods, whereas decreasing flow leaves the areas dependent on the Teesta vulnerable to droughts. Both these extreme situations had a negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of people dependent on the Teesta. Over the years, people have developed several risk mitigation strategies to adjust with both natural and anthropogenic flood situations. This article proposed the concept of 'MAXIN (maximum and minimum) flows' for river water justice for riparian land.

Due to environmental issues, the use of waste materials in concrete is gaining popularity. Waste materials, such as oil palm shell (OPS) and palm oil clinker (POC) from the Malaysian palm oil industry are being used in various researches to produce lightweight concrete. Concrete containing only OPS shows more ductility and low compressive strength, while POC concrete shows less ductility but high compressive strength. The combination of OPS and POC may show improved compressive strength and ductility behavior. In this experimental study, the normal coarse aggregate is replaced by a mixture of OPS and POC aggregates in the lightweight concrete. The proportion of OPS and POC in the concrete mix varies from 40% to 70%. The results indicate that if a mixture of OPS and POC aggregate in producing lightweight concrete, better performance regarding compressive strength and ductility can be achieved. Furthermore, through the utilization of waste materials, the proposed lightweight concrete will help to mitigate the negative impact on the environment.

Summary Objective: Anemia, a common complication of chronic kidney diseases (CKD), is involved in significant cardiovascular morbidity. Therefore, the objective of our study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of anemia in pre-dialysis patients, as well as to determine the predictors of anti-anemic therapy. Method: A retrospective, observational study was conducted on adult pre-dialysis patients receiving treatment at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from January 2009 to December 2013. Results: A total of 615 eligible cases were included. The mean age of patients was 64.1±12.0 years. The prevalence of anemia was 75.8%, and the severity of anemia was mild in 47.7% of the patients, moderate in 32.2%, and severe in 20%. Based on morphological classification of anemia, 76.9% of our patients had normochromic-normocytic anemia whereas 21.8 and 1.3% had hypochromic-microcytic anemia and macrocytic anemia, respectively. Oral iron supplements were prescribed to 38.0% of the patients and none of the patients was given erythropoietin stabilizing agents (ESA) or intravenous iron preparations. In logistic regression, significant predictors of anti-anemic preparation use were decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit, and advanced stages of CKD. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the prevalence of anemia in pre-dialysis patients is higher than currently accepted and it is found to be correlated with renal function; prevalence increases with declined renal function. An earlier identification as well as appropriate management of anemia will not only have a positive impact on quality of life but also reduce hospitalizations of CKD patients due to cardiovascular events.

Spatial and temporal patterns of aboveground biomass and nutritive value of rangeland species with respect to the influence of grazing and soil moisture were investigated. The research was conducted during two years at the Tomagh Research Station, near Sanjawi, Ziarat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. This area is protected from grazing since 1998; however, some of the area is open for grazing. Tree sites were selected for research purposes: a protected plain, a protected hilly, and an unprotected plain grazed area. Sampling was carried out during the spring, summer and autumn seasons. Results revealed that soil moisture was greater at the protected than unprotected sites. The aboveground plant biomass was 66% to 76% lower at unprotected than protected sites. The biomass of annual plant species was nearly 0 at grazed sites. Species differed in their nutrient concentrations, but these were similar among protected and unprotected grazed areas. Our findings indicate lower nutrient use eficiency at grazed than ungrazed, protected sites. Eleven years of protection from grazing increased significantly plant biomass, enhanced their nutrient use eficiency and allowed growth of annual plant species.